Creative Prayer and Spirituality WorkshopMay 2020

“He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” [Zephaniah 3:16][Zephaniah 3:16]

ContentsGUIDED MEDITATION 4

The Lord’s Prayer 4

CREATIVE PRAYER 4

Prayer Shawl 4

..with Music 5

What God does in us while we wait is as important as what we are waiting for. 5

Swimming in the River (Edgson and Gruet) 6

CONTEMPLATION

Listening to God 6

Imaginative Contemplation using the Bible. 7

“We must be still and still moving 8

Jacob Wrestling with God. 9

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace 11

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. 11

Psalm 91 12

POETRY AND PRAYER 13

Praying 14

A prayer at a Time of Need 14

Lights 17

PRAYER WALKING 18

FOOD FOR THOUGHT….. 19

The Monkey 19

Clenched fist, open hand 19

MORE CREATIVE ACTIVITIES 21

Exploring your name and your image of God (Helen Warwick) 21

Photography 21

Creative Writing 22

BOOKLIST 221

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 23

Each of us is on a unique prayer journey and sometimes our preconceptions need to be challenged. We may have learnt that prayer always means sitting still, using set words and phrases; that we must be ‘polite’ and tell God the things we think he wants to hear.

In reality, heartfelt prayer is more a reflection of our personality, of who we are and what we experience. Some of us are more activists, others are reflectors or particularly creative, others prefer to approach things in a clear and direct manner.

As with most deep relationships, we do need to spend time alone with God on a regular basis. Some people are more in touch with their internal worlds and will need to be shut away to find solitude, others may be connected more with sources in the external world, for example gardening or music.

Many of us have elements of both.

For some of us, a prayer walk may be helpful, a place to talk to God and listen to him. Others may enjoy being creative, exploring prayer through art or writing. Or another may find reflective or imaginative reading of the Bible is a helpful stepping stone into prayer.

You may like to keep a prayer journal, noting down things that occur to you, or new insights; not as a daily chore, but as and when things occur. It can be very illuminating and encouraging to look back and see what God has been saying and doing in our lives over a period of time.

There may be times when we are disappointed, frightened or angry; God has broad shoulders and we shouldn’t shy away from telling him how we feel. Of course he already knows what is in our hearts so we can be honest with him.

Jesus' introduction of the Lord’s prayer follows a period of praying alone. And we see in the gospels that Jesus regularly took himself off for a time of solitude and quiet. So we learn that we all benefit from finding that place of calm, where we can listen and be listened to.

Be expectant that God will speak, but also be prepared to listen; try not to control or force the outcome; let God be God to you.

Be prepared to experiment with something new- you might be surprised!

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Remember God ‘takes great delight in you and wants to quiet you with his love’

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If you have access to Copthornechurch.org please start the workshop by using the guided meditation on the Lord’s Prayer linked below and under the ‘Events’ tab.

Expectant

Meditate

Contemplate

GUIDED MEDITATIONJesus said:

“When you pray, go into your room, and close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

The Lord’s PrayerThis is the central theme to our services for Spring 2020 and for those using the Prayer Course materials.

The guided meditation from Meditations on the Mount: lasts about 8 minutes.

The link is provided for you on the website [https://youtu.be/qbQzG5ia9t4]

Make space and time for this and try it as another way of reflecting on this prayer.

You may also like to listen to a sung version of the Lord’s Prayer:

[https://youtu.be/6YUQWaAq1gw]

CREATIVE PRAYERPrayer Shawl [Helen Warwick, adapted)The Jewish prayer shawl is full of symbolism. It means ‘small tent’, so when worn over the head it creates a sense of personal space. The prayer shawl

has a tassel on each of the four corners, with one wool thread dyed in blue. The blue colour represents the sky and is symbolic of God’s purity. The tassels are a visual reminder of what God has done in the past, as well as a prompt to live a holy life (see Numbers 15:37-40).

In Luke 8:42-44, a woman who had been ill for 12 years touched the corner of Jesus’ prayer shawl and was instantly healed. The tallit is a reminder of being a child of God,

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under God’s protection and it can create intimacy and space for prayer and healing.

Use these points to draw your own prayer shawl. Use colours and symbols that you can imagine wearing in your prayer time. Some tallits have a neckband decorated with scriptural texts. You may like to include some words that God is saying especially to you. Feel what it is like to have something that creates a space for you to be intimate with God.

..with MusicPlay a piece of music and listen to it…

[some music/video clips are provided on the website e.g. ‘Magnificat’;

‘I will’; ‘Meditation’ from Thais or use your own]

Be prepared to wait and let the music sink into you as you listen:

● Does it link into any emotion?

● Is there an image which emerges

while you listen?

● Does it remind you of anything?

Swimming in the River (Edgson and Gruet)This has been made available as an audio only (mp3) file or a YouTube clip [https:/youtu.be/4xvJC0W4thk]

Choose whichever you find most helpful. For some of us, creating our own visual images whilst listening helps us to listen to what God may be saying; for others, the visual images will be as important to our reflection.

This meditative piece is based on Psalm 95/Jonah’s prayer and lasts 42 minutes.

“I had no idea where swimming in the musical tide might take me … I sensed that God might want me to dive deep below the water-line. I never got my guitar wet though … I hope this 42 minute journey blesses you as much as it blessed us in the making of it. Remember the safest place to be is where the water is at its deepest…” Ian Edgson.

If you have art materials available, you may want to respond to this using drawing or painting or any other creative media. 5

What God does in us while we wait is as important as what we are waiting for

[John Ortberg]

CONTEMPLATION

Listening to GodTo get into the present moment to prepare for listening to God, the following exercise, observing your body and mind and getting into a

relaxed state may be helpful.

● Get in a comfortable, quiet place. You are going on a journey,

observing your body and mind and then going deeper into your heart. You might like to pretend you have a camera and see what you observe.

● First have a look at your mind. What are the thoughts that are around

for you? Just observe them and try to clear some space in your mind. Perhaps box up all the thoughts for now [I find parking them on a high shelf helpful, or attaching them to a balloon to float away].

● Then observe your body. Look at it from the outside and the inside…

then go deeper into your heart. What can you observe; you may find feelings or emotions around. Can you see these as shapes or colours?

Imaginative Contemplation using the Bible.

(Christopher Chapman, adapted]

● Choose a Gospel passage (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) that

describes an event in Jesus’ life.

● Make yourself at home in the presence of God. You may find that it

helps to spend a few minutes stilling yourself down, giving your attention to what you can hear around you; for example you may be

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“Contemplation is nothing but a hidden, peaceful inflow of God.”

[John of the Cross]

aware of sounds around, birds singing, mower, wind. Just notice them and then focus on the rhythm of your breathing,

● You may want to bring to God what it is you are seeking today, for

example a deeper awareness of his presence, guidance in a decision you are making or greater freedom within you to let go to God, Ask God to help you pray with openness and generosity of spirit.

● Read the bible passage through a couple of times, slowly and

reflectively.

● Put the Bible down and in your imagination set the scene described in

the passage. The setting might be similar to that described in the bible or you may find that the setting changes to one that connects in some way with your past/present experience.

● Use all your senses - what can you see, hear, feel, taste or smell?

● Now put yourself into the story. Who are you? A central character or

someone observing from the sidelines?

● Let the scene unfold in its own way, even if it develops in a different

way from that which is described. The story may stick closely to what you read in the gospel or seem to take on a life of its own; rather than fight this, trust that it’s okay. This may be the story that is important for you to attend to today.

● You may find yourself wanting to talk to Jesus as the story unfolds or to

ask him a question; or you may find that Jesus speaks to you. It may be that you engage with another person in the story.

● Be aware of your own feelings and responses as you pray through the

passage.

● When you have finished, look back over the experience. Remember

how you reacted and felt at different points. What seems to you significant? Did anything surprise you? Ponder what this might be saying to you, asking God to help you see and understand.

● Spend some time in prayer with God, sharing your thoughts, feelings

and needs. You may find it helpful to repeat the prayer at another time, returning to those points where you were conscious of being moved in some way.

Below are some other suggestions for Bible passages that you may wish to use.7

Try to be open to God, put aside any other thoughts you may have had about the passage and just sit with it. Use the suggestions above to calm yourself, notice your breathing, as above.

● Read the passage through slowly.

● If an accompanying picture helps you, reflect on it, if not ignore it and

focus purely on the text.

● Read the passage again, perhaps out loud, allowing the words to sink

in. Pray that God will speak to you, through the passage.

● Allow your eyes to hover over the verses; a word or phrase will catch

your eye; stay with that word or phrase and listen to what God is saying.

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“We must be still and still movingInto another intensity”

[TS Eliot East Coker, The Four Quartets]

Jacob Wrestling with God.Take some time to look at this picture. Don’t move on too quickly, allow it to sink into your mind.

● What do you notice? [colours, textures, shapes, size]

● Are you in this picture?

Read Genesis 32:22-32 New International Version - UK

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that

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his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’

But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’27 The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘Jacob,’ he answered.28 Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’29 Jacob said, ‘Please tell me your name.’

But he replied, ‘Why do you ask my name?’ Then he blessed him there.30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

● Look at the picture again and rest in the words of the Bible and

whatever insight God has given you.

● At some point you may find that you want to write something yourself

in response; as you look, you might be surprised at what you have written as you may find ideas or thoughts have risen to the surface that you were not aware of.

“Those who struggle with God like Jacob, need to be given permission to say how it is. We cannot make ourselves feel trustful and at peace during difficulty, if what is really going on for us is fear and turmoil. It is better to own what we feel and then we can begin to listen to God. The relationship has to be real or it is nothing.”

[Christopher Chapman Seeing in the Dark, 172]

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The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

"Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

The Message (Matthew11v 28-30)

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Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you walk through the waters I’ll be with you;

You will never sink below the waves.

When the fire is burning all around you,

You will never be consumed by the flames.

When the fear of loneliness is looming,

Then remember that I am at your side.

When you dwell in the exile of a stranger.

Remember you are precious in my eyes.

You are mine, O my child

I am your Father

And I love you with a perfect love.

(Based on Isaiah 43 v 1-6.)

Psalm 911 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

2 I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.’

3 Surely he will save you    from the fowler’s snare    and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers,    and under his wings you will find refuge;

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    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.5 You will not fear the terror of night,    nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,    nor the plague that destroys at midday.7 A thousand may fall at your side,    ten thousand at your right hand,    but it will not come near you.8 You will only observe with your eyes    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’    and you make the Most High your dwelling,10 no harm will overtake you,    no disaster will come near your tent.11 For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways;12 they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 ‘Because he[b] loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him;    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble,    I will deliver him and honour him.16 With long life I will satisfy him    and show him my salvation.’

As you reflect on this psalm, you may want to write your own version, picking up on the key themes for you.

Which picture stands out for you? The image of the eagle? The strong tower?

Use pens, paints, collage to represent the image that you have;

You may want to reflect on the safety of nestling in soft feathers, of residing within a fortress…

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POETRY AND PRAYER [Christopher Chapman]

● Choose a poem

● Ask God to help you to be open to what you read.

● Read the poem, through - out loud if that helps.

● Read it through again and notice whether any words or phrases jump

out at you or draw you in. Linger over those words.

● Ask God to help you to reflect on those words, on how they speak to

you.

● Talk with God about the thoughts and feelings that have come to you

as you have reflected on the poem. Listen to what he says to you.

● Read through the poem again and rest in the words and whatever

insight God has given you.

● At some point you may find that you want to write something yourself

in response; as you look, you might be surprised at what you have written as you may have tapped into something in your subconscious that you were not aware of.

PrayingIt doesn’t have to be

Blue iris, it could be

Weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try

to make them elaborate, this isn’t

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

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another voice may speak.

[from Thirst: Poems by Mary Olliver]

A prayer at a Time of NeedLord

You have made me

and my life

is in your safe hands.

I do not need to fear

because I am cradled

in your love.

When I allow you

to dwell within

my heart

I live in perfect safety

and your peace

enters my being.

Therefore, I give you

my mind

my emotions

my body

my feelings.

Take them, Lord

bless them

transform them

heal them.

Go to the root

of all my disorders.

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Touch those parts

of me which hurt,

my pains

discomforts

and unease.

Touch me

and make me whole.

Come

to my weaknesses

and bring your strength.

Come to my restlessness

and bring your stillness.

Come

and reveal to me

your goodness

and your mercy

and in your coming

reveal to me

your nearness

that I may know

I am not alone

and that moment

by moment

you bear my sorrows

share my joys

and will never leave me

or forsake me,

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that you will pour out

the richness of your healing

upon me, this child

you know so well

and love so dearly.

Amen. ©www.maranthacommunity.org.uk

Lights

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“Somewhere in those depths of silence I came upon my first experience of God as a loving presence that was always near and prayer as a simple trust in that presence.

[Cynthia Bourgeault]

We thank Thee for the light that we have kindled

The light of altar and of sanctuary;

Small lights of those who meditate at midnight

And lights directed through the coloured panes of windows

And light reflected from the polished stone,

The gilden carven wood, the coloured fresco.

Our gaze is submarine, our eyes look upward

And see the light that fractures through unquiet water

We see the light but see not whence it comes

O light invisible, we glorify thee!

[TS Eliot, Choruses from ‘The Rock’]

PRAYER WALKINGThe rhythm of walking can be a really helpful aid to prayer, especially if it takes us away from our usual everyday environment.

Remember that this is about praying, spending time in the presence of God, not taking exercise!

Begin by looking around you and giving thanks to God for what you can see.

● Is there anything else you would like to praise or thank God for in your

life or that of others around you?

● Consciously slow down and start to notice the detail of things around

you - for example the play of light on trees, colours and shapes, sound of birdsong.

● Take all the time you need…

● You may want to move into a time of confession and petition or

intercession.

● Perhaps you might stand still or sit for a while; imagine Jesus joins you.

What do you want to say to him? What is he saying to you? Or you may just sit together in peaceful silence, enjoying each other’s company.

● When you are ready, walk on slowly until you feel it is time to finish.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT…..The MonkeyThere’s a story told about Brother Andrew, most famous for smuggling Bibles behind the iron curtain. Earlier in his life, he was sick and being nursed by a catholic sister who told him the following:

Do you know how natives catch monkeys out in the jungle?

A monkey won’t let go of something once it has grasped it even if it means losing its freedom.

The locals know this and are happy to exploit it, they take a coconut and make a hole in it just large enough for a monkey to put its hand through.

Then they push a pebble through the hole into the coconut. After that they place the coconut next to a bush and wait for a monkey to come along.

When a monkey finally comes by, it is so curious it picks up the coconut and shakes it. When it hears the pebble inside it looks inside the hole and then slides its hand through the hole to grasp the pebble. The hand once clenched around the pebble cannot be pulled out through the hole. But the monkey will not let go of the pebble even when the locals come along and capture it.

You might already have a good idea of what this pebble symbolises. It might be something that has been said or done to you many years ago. It might be a false expectation that you have held onto about who you are or what you should be; or a lifestyle you can’t afford, or a regret or a shattered dream.

Brian Draper What Matters Most. P68

Clenched fist, open hand [Christopher Chapman]

A clenched fist can be useful: It grasps hold tightly of things we are afraid to lose; it hides what we fear others will see; it becomes a weapon of our hatred or our need to defend ourselves against aggression.

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But a clenched fist is also a hand disabled: a hand thot cannot give or receive, or take another hand in friendship. lt is unable to pick things up. Such a hand will never sow seed in the ground, reassure one who is frightened or prepare a meal for friends.

ln the Kingdom of the clenched fist fear is the key: fear of the one who wants to challenge my world by being different; fear of those who might succeed at my expense; fear of the nothingness if I don't hold on to the scraps thot I say are my meaning. What will I choose … clenched fist or open hand? When I am unsure whether I am okay as I am, I want to curl my fingers back into a familiar tight hold; I am ready to strike the one who threatens me. I hold fast to what is mine. I hide who I am in case you reject who I am...but all the while my identity is hidden from me. If my hand is open, won't you take everything away?

God reaches out not with a clenched fist, but on open hand... not to compel, but to invite. not to destroy but to wake what was dead into life. To God belongs the might of vulnerability, the otherness of intimacy.

Clench your fists so that your fingers dig deeply into the palm of the hand; feel the tension and constriction. Look at your fingers tightly bound, the blood flow constricted in your knuckles. Here is your anxiety about the future, your ill-ease and discomfort. your holding fast of what does not satisfy, your fear of being who you are.

Now slowly release the tension in your fingers; watch as they slowly unfurl, like fern fronds in response to the warmth of spring sunshine. Let your fingers stretch, your palms open and relaxed before you. You are ready now to let go, ready now to receive, ready now to express who you are, ready to reach out your hand to another: not in violence but in love, not to push away. but to invite.

Repeat the action: now clenching your fists, now letting your hands relax and open

‘God of the open hands I give you my clenched fists. Let me take the risk of allowing you to love me as I am. Let me dare to give myself so that I may receive myself as a gift from you.’

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God comes to you with open hands, tender and compassionate hands, waiting, inviting hands.

MORE CREATIVE ACTIVITIESYou may not think of yourself as ‘artistic’ or even ‘creative’ but don’t be put off trying any of these activities. This is about self-expression and no-one need ever see what you have done!

Exploring your name and your image of God (Helen Warwick)First take some paper and write your name on it. Write it with right and left hand and carry on doodling in different ways if this is what feels right for you. Then take a magazine or newspaper and tear out and cut or tear out words or pictures that catch your eye. Place these on the paper, and if you like, embellish them with wool, fabric, ribbons, felt pens etc. Try to do this fairly quickly so that you don’t get caught up in thinking too hard about it . When you feel you have a completed picture, stop and give yourself time to reflect on the process and what the images are saying to you.

The following questions might help you to reflect:

● Was there anything in the process of making it that struck you?

● Are there any particular words or pictures that resonate with you?

● What emotions have surfaced through this exercise?

● Does the image give you insight into the name that God has for you?

● Put your collage up or come back to it in private and let it speak to

you over the next few days.

● You could do another collage based on your image of God, finding

pictures and words which catch your eye when thinking about God.

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PhotographyGo for a walk or into your garden and take photographs of whatever attracts you.

● Look at the photographs you have taken

● What do you notice? Is there a pattern in what you choose to

photograph?

● Notice the detail, the shapes, the colours, the play of light.

● Let your eyes range over the photographs and choose one to focus

on. You will probably find that one in particular speaks to you.

● Sit with it for a few minutes; be aware of any thoughts that drift into

your mind. Use these in prayer to God.

Creative WritingYou may want to respond to any of the resources above by writing.

● Write a prayer in response - remember that this can be only for you, or

shared later if you wish.

One way of responding creatively is to simply write…Sit quietly with a particular image and then pick up a pen and start writing; keep up the flow, don’t stop to correct the spelling, grammar or anything

else, just write quite literally whatever comes into your head. Make no attempt to control or check what you are writing.When you feel that you have come to a natural pause, look back over what you have written. Notice the ideas, the themes. This time, re-write the piece, weaving into a more coherent whole.Look at it again, correct the spelling and phrasing as you wish- remember this is only for you.You may be surprised by what you have written. Sit and reflect or pray with it.

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BOOKLISTMany of these books have been referred to in the making of this booklet.

Christopher Chapman (2013) Seeing in the Dark. Pastoral Perspectives on Suffering from the Christian spiritual tradition. Canterbury Press.

Brian Draper (2014) What matters most? Finding spiritual treasure in everyday life. Lion.

(2009) Spiritual Intelligence: A new way of being. Lion.

Richard Foster, (2011) Sanctuary of the Soul. A journey into Meditative Prayer. Hodder and Stoughton

Gerard W. Hughes (2010) God of Surprises. Darton, Longman and Todd.

Brian McLaren (2012) Naked Spirituality Hodder and Stoughton

Sue Monk Kidd (1990) When the Heart Waits, Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions. Harper

Richard Rohr, (2012) Falling Upward. A spirituality for the two halves of life. SPCK.

Helen Warwick, (2010) Finding your Inner Treasure. A spiritual journey of creative exploration. Kevin Mayhew

[Helen has also written a book based on her experiences with ME, (2008) Creating Gardens in the Desert, A journey through chronic illness. Kevin Mayhew]

Rowan Williams (2003) Silence and Honey Cakes. The wisdom of the desert. Lion

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSVery little in this booklet is original and much has been drawn from the following:24

Helen Warwick, (2010) Finding your Inner Treasure. A spiritual journey of creative exploration. Kevin Mayhew

Material provided on retreat, [Wychcroft, 2013] by Christopher Chapman

Brian Draper (2014) What matters most? Finding spiritual treasure in everyday life. Lion.

With thanks to Ian Edgson for permission to use ‘Swimming in the River’ and ‘I Will’ and for creating the visual materials especially for this workshop.

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